As part of Michigan’s response to the Big Ten in the middle notice that the conference could sanction the Wolverines and coach Jim HarbaughThe university intends to frame the signal-stealing scandal as an NCAA issue rather than a violation of the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy, sources told CBS Sports. Michigan will therefore argue that the situation should be handled through the NCAA’s ongoing investigation.
On Monday, the Big Ten presented evidence to Michigan and gave the university until Wednesday to respond to its notice of potential disciplinary action in the scandal involving former low-level employee Connor Stalions.
The Wolverines are expected to present their own evidence that up to three Big Ten schools had Michigan’s signals in 2022. Michigan alleges that Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers shared its signals last season, according to The Athletic.
While it is not against NCAA rules to obtain signals during games or via game film when preparing for opponents, teams are not allowed to scout opponents in advance or record video signals in person. This rule has been in effect for nearly 30 years.
Any suspension of Harbaugh will be was promptly subject to immediate legal actionan injunction or temporary restraining order, a source familiar with the situation told CBS Sports on Monday. It’s unclear whether the claim is part of Michigan’s response to the Big Ten.
The Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy does not contain any specific provisions regarding signal stealing. This may be intentional, as the term “sportsmanship” is very broad. However, the policy does state that Commissioner Tony Petitti will have “exclusive authority” in the event of a sportsmanship violation.
According to Yahoo Sports, the NCAA has not directly linked the sign-stealing investigation to Harbaugh. However, this may be a minor point for the NCAA, as the association’s bylaws state that a head coach “shall be” accountable for the conduct of his staff.
Such a finding could reduce the penalty, but any rule violations would still be Harbaugh’s responsibility.
